Electric plug connecter



' March 3, 1936. f N, |||REL5TE|N l 2,032,470

ELECTRIC PLUG CONNECTERl Filed Apg. 4,' 1954 Ffa/1. /avr INVENTOR.'

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,032,470 ELECTRIC PLUG CONNECTER Nathan Chirelstein, Newark, N. J.

Application August 4, '1934, Serial No. 738,397 201mm. (ci. 17a-361) This invention relates to electric plug connecters and refers more particularly to portable attachment plugs adapted to be inserted in a socket connected to an electric current supply line for the purpose of connecting an electrical apparatus with said 'electric current supply line.

An object of this invention is the provision of a plug connecter comprising Contact prongs of such shape that they hold orlock a closure plug iff situated between the contact prongs and adapted to be inserted into a suitable opening formed in the main body of the plug connecter.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a plug connecter consisting of a few if parts of relatively simple construction, which may be easily assembled in a short time.

Another object is the provision of a plug connecter which can be quickly and convenientlyv manufactured at a low cost. :.0 The above and other objects of this invention may be realized through the provision'of a plug connecter comprising a main body member carrying a closure plug, the contact prongs of the plug connecter being provided with projections or lugs z5 holding or locking the closure plug, and also being provided with otherprojecting portions clamping the prongs and the closure plug within the main body member.

The invention will appear more clearly from the 30 following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing showing preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figure l shows a plug connecter in side ele- 35 vation. l

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the plug connecter.

Figure 3 is a section along the lines 3-'3 of Fig. 2. 40 Figure 4 is a sectional view, showing the plug connecter while itis being assembled.

Figure 5 shows one of the contact prongs.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the closure plug.

45 Figure 7 shows a contact prong of a somewhat dierent form.

The plug connecter illustrated by way of example in Figures 1 to 4 of the drawing, comprises a main body member I preferably made of 50 a resilient insulating material, such as rubber or the like, and comprising a preferably cylindrical portion II having a corrugated flange I2, and a. tapered end portion I3.

Central openings I4 and I5 are formed'in the 55 tapered end portion I3 and the cylindrical body II, respectively. The opening I4 is preferably round in erom-section, while the opening I5 may be rectangular in shape and is flanked by two sockets I6 and I1 extending into the tapered end portion I3 and forming grooves I3 and I3. Pock- 5 ets or-recesses 23, 2i, 22 and 23 are formed in the walls of the opening I5, the pocket 22 being situated opposite the pocket 23, while the pocket 23 is situated opposite the pocket 2|.

A closure plug 24 fitting into the rectangular 1o opening I5 is shown in Figure 6 of the drawing. The closure plug 24 which in the example illustrated, has four at side surfaces 25, 25, 21 and 23, also may be made of resilient insulating material, such as rubber, or it may be made of a hard l5 insulating material.- If the main body member I0 consists of rubber or the like, thelclosure plug 24 should, preferably, be made of hard insulating material. On the other hand, if the main body member consists oi a hard insulating material, the closure plug must be made of an elastic material, such as soft rubber or the like.

As shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5, the closure plug 24 is preferably provided with an opening or hole 32 formed in the side surface 26 and a similar 25 hole 33 formed in the oppositek surface 23 of the plug.

'I'he lower portion of the closure plug 24 is provided with four projecting walls 34, 35, 36, and

31, which are interconnected by means of an intermediate web 33.

The web 33 and the walls 34 and 35 form a chamber or recess 39 while a similar chamber 4|! is formed by the web 33 and the walls 33 and 31 at the opposite side of the closure plug- 34.

The contact prongs 4I and 42, one of which is shown in Figure 5 of the drawing, are similar to each other in shape and serve for conducting the electrical current. Each prong comprises a main blade portion 43, having an oval opening 40 46 which may be formed in the upper end of the blade.

As shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 5, a lug or. a projection 43 is cut out of the middle portion of the blade u and is bent m a direction away 45 from the closure plug 24, thereby forming an opening 49 in the plate 43. 'I'he projection 43 forms an acute angle with the blade 43 and is used for clamping the prong within the main body member I0, as will be described more fully 50 hereinafter.

Another projection 5II is cut out oi' the blade 43,somewhat below the projection 43. The projection 50 which is adaptedto be inserted into one of the openings 32 or 33 of the closure plug 55 The end 59 of the conducting wire 55 is passed through the opening 52 of the contact prong 4| and is then passed through the opening 5| of the same prong and pressed against the adjacent wall of the blade portion 43. Thus the end 59 is bent in the form of a hook and is firmly connected with the contact prong 4|.

'I'he end 60 of the conducting wire 56 is passed in the same manner through the openings 52 and 5| of the contact prong 42 and is then pressed against the adjacent wall of the contact prong 42, whereby a permanent electrical connection is established between the wire 56 and the contact prong 42.

The contact prong 4| is connected with the closure plug 24 by inserting the projection 50 of the contact prong 4| into the corresponding opening 32 formed in the closure plug 24. The contact prong 42 is connected with the closure plug' 24 by inserting its projection 50 into the opening 33. 'Ihis arrangement is shown more clearly in Figure 4 of the drawing. The ends of the insulated wires are situated within the recesses 39 and 40 of the plug 24. The ends 59 and 60 of the wires 55 and 56 are pressed against the edges of the openings 5| of the prongs 4| and 42 by the edges 6| and 62 of the plug 24. Due to this arrangement, a permanent contact is maintained between the wires 55 and 56 on the one hand and the contact prongs 4| and 42 on the other hand, while at the same time the prongs 4| and 42 are iirmly connected with the closure plug 24.

In some cases it may be advisable to solder the ends of the connecting wires to the contact prongs although as arule a suiiicientl'y stable connection is formed by passing the wires through the two openings 52 and 5| -and by the pressure of the adjacent edges of the .closure plug 24.

The final step in assembling the plug connecter is accomplished by inserting the closure plug 24 into the corresponding opening |5 formed in the main body member I0, by moving the closure plug 24 downward from the position shown in Figure 4vinto the position shown in Figure 2.

During the insertion of plug 24, the contact prongs 4| and 42 slide within the sockets I6 and until the ends 53 of the contact prongs 4| and 42 come to rest at the bottom of the grooves |8 and |9, respectively; the projections 48 are pressed against the blade portions 43 until they reach the recesses 22 and 20. Then these projections 48 assume the position shown in Figure 2, pressing against the walls of the recesses 22 and 20, and thus providing a permanent connection between the prongs 4| and 42 and the plug 24 on the one iland, and the main body member l on the other and.

Due to this arrangement, the projections 48 remain in contact with the adjacent walls of the recesses 22 and 20, preventing a separation of the plug 24 from the main body member I0, when the plug connecter is pulled out of a socket.` On the other hand, due to the provision of projections B iltting into the openings 32 and 33, the G011- tact prongs 4| and 42 will not slide with respect to the main body member I0 when the plug connecter is inserted into a socket.

As shown in Figure 2, the ends 59 and 6U ...f the conducting wires 55 and 56 are situated in the recesses 23 and 2|, respectively, which are formed in the main body member |8. At the same time the two conducting wires are separated from each other by the web 38.

The contact prong 29 shown in Figure 7 of the drawing comprises a blade 3|) having an opening 63 formed at the lower end of the blade and adapted to hold an end of a conducting-wire. A lug or projection 44 which is similar to the projection 48 shown in Fig. 5, is cut out of the middle portion of the blade 30, thereby forming an opening 45 in the blade. The projection 44 is adapted to come in contact with a wall of one of the recesses formed in the main body member. Another projection or lug 3| is situated at the opposite side of the blade 3|) and is also cut out of the blade, whereby an opening 41 is formed in the blade 30. The projection 3| forms an acute angle with the blade 30, so that it holds the closure plug by being forced into a soft rubber closure plug thereby holding it in place.

What is claimed is:

1. In a plug connecter comprising a main resilient body member and a closure plug positioned within said main resilient body member; a contact prong comprising a substantially straight elongated blade portion, a substantially rectangular cut-out projection integral with said blade portion; the width of said projection being smaller than that of said blade portion, a rectangular opening being formed in said blade portion adjacent said projection, an edge of said rectangular opening being integral with an edge of said pro-4 jection, saidprojection extending at an acute angle in relation to said blade portion, and another substantially rectangular cut-out projection situated under the first-mentioned projection and integral with said blade portion, the width of the second-mentioned projection being smaller than that of said blade portion, a rectangular opening being formed in said blade portion adjacent the second-mentioned projection, an edge of the second-mentioned opening being integral with an edge of the second-mentioned projection, the second-mentioned projection extending at a substantially right angle in relation to said blade portion, the mst-mentioned projection holding said body member, the secondmentioned project-ion holding said closure plug.

2. A plug connecter comprising a main resilient body member having a central opening, an-

other central open-'rig forming a continuation the other in the walls bf the first-mentioned central opening; a conducting wire situatedy in the second-mentioned central opening, ya 'resilient closure plug fitting into the iirst-mentioned central opening, and a contact prong comprising a substantially straight elongated blade portion, a substantially rectangular cut-out projection integral with said blade portion; the width of said projection being smaller than that of said blade portion, a rectangular opening being formed in said blade portion adjacent said projection, an edge of said rectangular opening being integral with an edge of said projection, said projection extending at an acute angle in relation to said. blade portion, and another substantially rectangular cut-out projection situated under the rst-mentioned projection and integral with said blade portion, the width of the secondlmentioned projection being smallerthan that oi Asaid blade portion, a rectangular opening being formed in said blade portion adjacent the second-mentioned projection, an edge of the secondmentioned opening being integral with an edge of the second-mentioned projection, the secondmentioned projection extending at a substantially right angle in relation to said blade portion, the

first-mentioned projection being situated in one of said recesses and pressing againsta wall thereof to hold said body member, the second-mentioned projection being situated -in an opening formed in an adjacent wall of said closure plug to hold the same, an end of said conductingwire passing through the second-mentioned rectanguiar opening and being situated in the other one of said recesses.

NATHAN CHIRELSTEIN. 

